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S.C.R. 10
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8 LONG TITLE
9 General Description:
10 This concurrent resolution of the Legislature and the Governor expresses support for
11 interconnection of the seven Salt Lake County and Summit County ski resorts.
12 Highlighted Provisions:
13 This resolution:
14 . expresses support for low-impact interconnection of the seven resorts in Salt Lake
15 County and Summit County to enhance the ski and snowboard industry's
16 contribution to Utah's economy, jobs, and tax base; and
17 . urges interconnection of the Salt Lake County and Summit County ski resorts using
18 best environmental practices.
19 Special Clauses:
20 None
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22 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
23 WHEREAS, tourism is one of Utah's major "export industries" that sells services or
24 products to destination visitors and brings money into the state to support our local economy
25 and provide jobs for current and future Utahns;
26 WHEREAS, over 20 million people visited the state of Utah in 2010, spending over
27 $6.5 billion, or 5.5% of Utah's gross domestic product, contributing over $840 million in state
28 and local taxes, and sustaining as much as 10% of the jobs in the state;
29 WHEREAS, the ski and snowboard industry is a major contributor to Utah's tourism
30 industry, contributing over $1.2 billion to the state's economy as a result of over 4 million skier
31 days, and growth in the ski and snowboard industry will bring additional spending, revenue,
32 and jobs to the state;
33 WHEREAS, tourists who ski or snowboard in Utah spend money on lift tickets,
34 equipment rentals, hotels, restaurants, car rentals, and other matters, and this money circulates
35 through the economy, supporting over 20,000 local jobs;
36 WHEREAS, the seven ski resorts in Summit County and Salt Lake County are all
37 located in close proximity to one another, offering the opportunity to easily connect these
38 resorts, an opportunity that leading competing winter tourism states do not have;
39 WHEREAS, connecting the ski resorts in Summit County and Salt Lake County will
40 create a skiing experience unavailable anywhere else in North America and reposition Utah's
41 ski and snowboard experience to be even more competitive and attractive relative to other
42 states, leading to increased tourist visitation and spending, which will in turn lead to an
43 increase in revenue and jobs;
44 WHEREAS, it is recognized that Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons are key
45 watersheds from which many Utahns receive their drinking water, and that best management
46 practices would be used in any potential multiresort connection;
47 WHEREAS, connecting the ski resorts in Summit County and Salt Lake County will
48 improve access to the ski resorts for local skiers by reducing canyon road congestion and
49 allowing Utahns to ski at multiple resorts in a single day;
50 WHEREAS, connecting the ski resorts in Summit County and Salt Lake County is an
51 issue of state concern because the connection will cross county boundaries, have a
52 tremendously positive impact on the state economy, and positively impact state roadways and
53 airsheds;
54 WHEREAS, connecting ski resorts will allow the winter sports industry to grow while
55 making the most efficient and sustainable use of ski terrain, roads, facilities, and parking lots;
56 WHEREAS, connecting the ski resorts in Summit County and Salt Lake County will
57 require review and approval of permits by Summit County, Salt Lake County, the town of Alta,
58 and the United States Forest Service;
59 WHEREAS, many skiers drive from Summit County to ski in the Cottonwood
60 Canyons, or from one Cottonwood Canyon resort to ski in Summit County or at another
61 Cottonwood Canyon resort, contributing to congestion on canyon roads;
62 WHEREAS, connecting the ski resorts in Summit County and Salt Lake County will
63 decrease traffic on congested canyon roads and lead to cleaner air and water by reducing
64 automobile-related pollution, and provide emergency evacuation options for Big and Little
65 Cottonwood canyons;
66 WHEREAS, the 1988 Governor's Task Force on Interconnect concluded that
67 interconnecting the Wasatch ski resorts "would provide a substantial boost to Utah's ski
68 industry and have a positive influence on the state's economy"; and
69 WHEREAS, the Wasatch Mountains Inter-Resort Transportation Study, completed by
70 Mountainland Association of Governments in 1990, found that connecting the Wasatch resorts
71 "hold[s] the promise of substantial public benefits in the form of reductions in automobile
72 traffic on congested canyon roadways, watershed and environmental pollution abatement,
73 increased slow-season occupancy of existing facilities, and the potential for future economic
74 expansion":
75 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
76 Governor concurring therein, support connecting the seven ski resorts in Summit County and
77 Salt Lake County with an inter-resort transportation system based on sound research and public
78 input, and careful evaluation of its impact on transportation, the economy, job creation, the
79 environment, and visitor experience.
80 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and Governor encourage Summit
81 County, Salt Lake County, the town of Alta, and the United States Forest Service to fairly
82 consider the benefits of connecting the various resorts and expeditiously approve a low-impact
83 inter-resort transportation system.
84 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Summit
85 County Council, the Summit County Manager, the Salt Lake County Council, the town of Alta,
86 the Mayor of Salt Lake County, the Salt Lake City Council, the Mayor of Salt Lake City, the
87 Chief of the National Forest Service, the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest Supervisor, the
88 Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Majority Leader of the United
89 States Senate, and all members of the Utah Congressional Delegation.
Legislative Review Note
as of 2-17-12 12:26 PM